Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday announced the Strait of Hormuz was open following the inking of a ceasefire accord for Lebanon, as U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his belief that a permanent end to the Iran war will come “soon.”
In a posting on X, Araghchi said the Strait was now open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon. However, he cautioned, the passage of ships would need to be along the route that Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization had announced previously.
Almost immediately after Araghchi’s post, oil prices fell by about 9% in the global market over the potential restoration of access to the vital shipping lane.
In an apparent reply to the Iranian official’s post, Trump took to TruthSocial, writing Tehran had announced the opening of the strait. He said the U.S. military blockade of ships sailing through the Strait to Iranian ports, imposed earlier this week, would remain in place until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.” He said he expected this to happen soon, as both sides are nearing conclusion of most contentious points. The two-week ceasefire agreed between Iran and the United States, meanwhile, ends on Wednesday.
Despite the optimism, however, concerns persist over the deal. Iranian public opinion remains firmly opposed to any deal, while neither side has offered any confirmation on when the next round of talks would take, likely in Islamabad. Sources indicate it could happen as early as Monday (April 20), but could even span until the end of the week. The federal capital has been placed on high alert in anticipation.
This week, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran, meeting both the civil and military leadership in a bid to broker a ceasefire. Observers have linked the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to negotiations during this time.